Consonant Clusters

What is a Consonant Cluster?

A consonant cluster is a group of two or more consonants that appear together in a word with no vowels between them. Each consonant within the cluster keeps its own sound when you pronounce it.

These clusters can show up at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. The key is that the sounds are blended together smoothly without any vowel interruption.

In a cluster, you can hear each individual consonant. For example, in the word pray, you can distinctly hear both the /p/ and /r/ sounds.

Examples of Consonant Clusters

Initial Clusters (at the beginning of a word):

  • bl in blue
  • pr in price
  • st in stop
  • tr in tree
  • str in street (a three-consonant cluster)
  • spl in splash (a three-consonant cluster)

Final Clusters (at the end of a word):

  • st in fast
  • nd in hand
  • mp in jump
  • lk in milk

Words Containing the /pr/ Cluster Sound

praise, pray, preach, precede, predict, prefer, prepare, prescribe, present, preserve, press, pretend, prevent, print, proceed

process, proclaim, produce, profit, program, progress, promise, promote, propose, protect, protest, prove, provide, practice, prank

prayer, precedent, precipice, predator, preface, preference, pregnancy, prejudice, premium, preparation, presence, president, pressure, prestige, prey

price, pride, priest, prince, princess, principal, principle, priority, prison, privacy, privilege, prize, problem, procedure, process

prodigy, product, production, profession, professor, profile, profit, program, progress, project, promise, promotion, proof, property, prophet

proposal, prospect, protection, protest, proverb, province, provision, practical, precious, precise, pregnant, previous, priceless, primary, primitive

prior, private, probable, productive, professional, proficient, profound, prominent, promising, proper, proud, prudent, practically, precisely, previously

probably, properly, pragmatist, praline, prandial, pratfall, preamble, prebendary, preceptor, precept, precinct, precursor, predilection, preeminence, preemption

prefecture, prelate, prelude, premeditation, premiere, premonition, prerogative, presbyter, prescience, presidium, prevarication, prig, prima, primacy, primate